Maine insurance co-op hikes out-of-network deductibles over 400%

To encourage policyholders to use in-network services next year, health plan co-op Community Health Options hiked its deductibles for out-of-network care by up to 472 percent, Portland Press Herald reports.

The Lewiston, Maine-based co-op will increase the out-of-network deductible for its gold ACA health plan from $2,500 to $14,300, an increase of 472 percent. For its four most popular silver plans, Community Health Options will hike deductibles from $5,000 to $14,300, up 186 percent, according to the report.

Community Health Option's CEO Kevin Lewis told Portland Press Herald the co-op has "gone to great lengths to provide a solid and respectable array of in-network providers. This encourages people to stay in the network."

The co-op follows similar moves by other insures like Blue Cross of Idaho, which raised its out-of-network deductibles from $4,000 to $50,000.